Dune Rats s/t

I always wonder about the term ‘dumb’band. It seems to be a description doing the rounds for Brisbanes Dune Rats. I’m not sure what quantifies as dumb but to me this is a clever bunch of surfers.

Sorry, I’ve no idea whether they surf or not it’s just the impression I get. There’s a punding drum beat with tunes a plenty and the bizarrerst lyrics I’ve seen in a while.

They have the tunes the Jesus and Mary Chain were hiding and have been partying with the Ramones and Beach Boys. it’s uptempo and loud and would be a far better way to go round a grand prix circuit than a car. The speed wold carry you long as you reach hair pin bends singing at the top of your voice “Dalai Lama, Big Banana, Marijuana” (yep that is a line from the opening track.

It’s anthemic at times and never ones to take themselves too seriously the Dune Rats sing about Drugs, Superman and ET.

When I played in my first band we had a song about people being in the Army, we knew we wanted to say that we don’t want to be soldiers when we grew up and just had to find any words that rhymed once we could proclaim that Soldier Soldier is this what youy wanna be. I get that feeling at times with the Dune Rats, I guess they don’t ever wanna grow up and once they can sing “Drugs, make you lose yourself” they will be forever happy.